


puer natus

by Anima Perierat (Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson)



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Autistic Character, Autistic Edward Nygma, Autistic!Ed, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 07:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6042427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson/pseuds/Anima%20Perierat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>“Mr. Nygma?”</em><br/><em>The forensic scientist screamed and tried to move away, eyes wide.</em><br/><em>“Mr. Nygma, I promise you, I mean you no harm!” Oswald put his hands up, frowning. “Is something... what’s wrong?”</em> </p><p>In which, Oswald comes across Ed having an autistic breakdown, and Jim and Harvey soothe our favourite riddle noodle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	puer natus

Oswald hobbled quickly away from Don Maroni and Gabriel, trying not to rush, trying not to panic. The men’s bathroom was only across the room, but Oswald could have sworn it was in another city, it felt so far away.

Finally, _finally_ , the door was under his hands and he pushed it open, rushing inside. The door snapped shut behind him and he took a breath, heading over to the sinks. Running his hands under the water, he gently pressed his face into the water pooled in the crevice of his hands before he leaned up enough to watch himself in the mirror.

A whimper floated through his hearing, and Oswald stopped, staring at his lips. _Did that come from me?_

It came again and that time, Oswald was sure it hadn’t been him. Movement caught his eyes in the mirror and he spotted a pair of shoes, and someone’s legs, sitting in a cubicle.

“A-Are you alright?”

A stifled moan came this time and Oswald raised an eyebrow. “A-Are you...” He drifted off as the figure started rocking. The door swayed, showing that it was unlocked and Oswald dared to peek round.

“Mr. Nygma?”

The forensic scientist screamed and tried to move away, eyes wide.

“Mr. Nygma, I promise you, I mean you no harm!” Oswald put his hands up, frowning. “Is something... what’s wrong?”

The man in the cubicle curled up in a ball, hands over his ears as he started crying and Oswald was vaguely aware of the door opening behind him.  
  
“Ed?!”  
  
Detective Bullock pulled Oswald back and Os watched him kneel down, holding his hands up as his voice dropped. “Ed? Hey, Ed.”  
  
The scientist had curled into a corner, somehow getting in between the toilet and cubicle wall. He peeked an eye at the detective who wore a friendly smile. Slowly, Bullock sat cross-legged and Oswald watched.  
  
“Tell me a riddle, Ed.”  
  
“W-W-When is... When is 99 more than 100?”  
  
“I don’t know, Ed.”  
  
“A microwave.”  
  
Oswald and Bullock shared a glance.  
  
“S-See because,” Ed pressed his glasses up his face, and he sniffled, taking a breath. “W-When you type 100 in a microwave, it goes on for a minute, but, when you type 99 seconds, it goes on for a minute and a half.”  
  
Both men made a soft oh and nodded – that was a good one.  
  
“A microwave, huh? That’s good, Ed.”  
  
The scientist carefully edged closer to them.  
  
“A man is cleaning windows on the 79th floor of a building, and jumps through the window. He acquires no damage. How?”  
  
Bullock shrugged. “I don’t know, how didn’t he get hurt, Ed?”  
  
“He was cleaning them on the outside, he jumped _inside_ the building.”  
  
Bullock smiled and Ed whimpered a little, crawling forward to curl up in the detective’s lap. Bullock gently wrapped his arms around the man, rocking slowly. He turned his attention to Oswald.  
  
“Can you go ask Detective Gordon for a ‘Code Ed’, please?”  
  
Oswald blinked, shocked to hear a word of sincerity from the detective’s mouth before he turned, heading outside. Detective Gordon was at his desk and Oswald made his way up the stairs, clearing his throat.  
  
“Detective?”  
  
“What do you want, Penguin?” Jim didn’t even look up at the man in front of his desk.  
  
“Detective Bullock asked if you might fetch him a _Code Ed_ , for him, please.”  
  
Jim looked up for a moment before he made his way to the vending machine, putting a dollar in to get a cup of hot chocolate. With a grateful smile to Oswald, he headed to the bathrooms, and Oswald followed.  
  
He peered around the corner, watching Ed’s shaking hands take the cup from Jim’s hands before the detective got up, moving to stand in the corner of the room. The bathroom stayed silent, and Bullock held Ed as closely as he could as he sipped the cocoa.  
  
After a short while of silence, the forensic scientist’s eyes began to droop and Jim shot forward to take the hot chocolate from his hands.  
  
Bullock sighed a little, catching Jim’s eyes.  
  
“Too much noise in the main room, probably.”  
  
Bullock nodded and then struggled to get a better grip on Ed.  
  
Oswald took a few steps back as Bullock lifted the now-sleeping Ed into his arms, carrying him through the open door. Oswald held it open and he watched them disappear down to the filing room.

-xox-

Bullock lay Ed down gently on the soft nest of cushions they’d made for him back here. Jim carefully threw the blanket over him, and Ed smiled a little in his sleep. Miss. Kringle hovered, and the two detectives didn’t need to tell her to keep an eye on him.  
  
Bullock carefully removed the man’s glasses, setting them on top of the filing cabinet that was to the side of him. Ed curled up, and sniffed a little, and the detectives left him to the relaxing land of slumber.

**Author's Note:**

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> 
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